| Savannah State Tigers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Savannah State University |
| Conference | SIAC (primary) |
| NCAA | Division II |
| Athletic director | Opio Mashariki |
| Location | Savannah, Georgia |
| Varsity teams | 13 (6 men's, 7 women's) |
| Football stadium | Ted Wright Stadium |
| Basketball arena | Tiger Arena |
| Baseball stadium | Tiger Baseball Field |
| Softball stadium | Lady Tiger Softball Field |
| Tennis venue | Tiger Tennis Courts |
| Nickname | Tigers and Lady Tigers |
| Colors | Burnt orange and reflex blue[1] |
| Website | ssuathletics |
 | |
TheSavannah State Tigers and Lady Tigers are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic teams that play forSavannah State University inSavannah, Georgia.
Savannah State University holds membership in theNCAA Division II (as members of theSIAC) and participates in the followingsports:football,baseball,basketball (men and women), cross-country (men and women), tennis (men and women), track and field (men and women), volleyball (women only), golf (men), andsoftball (women).[2][3][4] On March 20, 2010, the Tigers were accepted as provisional members of theMid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) beginning on July 1, 2010.[5] On September 8, 2011, the university was confirmed as a full member of the MEAC Conference, making the Tigers eligible to participate in all conference championships and earn the conference's automatic berth to NCAA postseason competition in all sponsored sports.[6] Before moving to Division I-AA, Savannah State was a member of theSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in the NCAA Division II (1981–2005),NCAA Division II and theSoutheastern Athletic Conference in theNAIA (1929–1961).
Savannah State announced on April 17, 2017, that all of its intercollegiate athletic programs were going to be reclassified to NCAA Division II, citing that maintaining Division I status was not financially feasible.[7] Just under eight months later on December 7, the university revealed its plans to apply for re-entry to theSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference by February 1, 2018.[8] These plans were later approved and Savannah State was re-admitted into the SIAC on July 2, 2019.
The officialschool colors for Savannah State are Burnt Orange and Reflex Blue.[9] White is often used as a secondary color and foralternate jerseys.
Athletics at Savannah State University are administered by the Savannah State University Athletic Department. The department is headed by an athletic director who is responsible for the department's oversight and all matters related to the school's 16 NCAA Division I sports teams for men and women.[10] The department dedicates about $2 million per year for its sports teams and facilities.[11]
The current athletic director is Opio Mashariki[12]
| Men's sports | Women's sports |
|---|---|
| Baseball | Basketball |
| Basketball | Cross country |
| Cross country | Golf |
| Football | Softball |
| Golf | Tennis |
| Track and field1 | Track and field1 |
| Volleyball | |
| 1 – includes both indoor and outdoor. | |
The head coach is Florentino "Tino" Burgos.[13]
NCAA Division IIndependent SIAC (NCAA Division II) NCAA Division III NAIA Southeastern
| Season | Wins | Losses | Conference Record | Head coach | Notes | References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 0-0 | Carlton Hardy | |||||
| 2009 | 25 | 26 | 0-0 | Carlton Hardy | |||
| 2008 | 0-0 | Carlton Hardy | |||||
| 2007 | 30 | 23 | 0-0 | Carlton Hardy | [16][17] | ||
| 2006 | 30 | 19 | 0-0 | Carlton Hardy | [16] | ||
| 2005 | 0-0 | Jamie Rigdon | [18] | ||||
| 2004 | 0-0 | Jamie Rigdon | [18] | ||||
| 2003 | 0-0 | Jamie Rigdon | [18] | ||||
| 2002 | Jamie Rigdon | [18] | |||||
| 2001 | Jamie Rigdon | [18] | |||||
| 2000 | Jamie Rigdon | [18] | |||||
| 1999 | 38 | 10 | Jamie Rigdon | SIAC Champions and #4 seed in the NCAA Division II South Regional baseball Tournament | [14][15][18] | ||
| 1998 | Jamie Rigdon | SIAC Champions; Savannah State placed on four years probation and scholarships reduced in six sports | [14][18][19] | ||||
| 1997 | Jamie Rigdon | SIAC Champions | [14][18] | ||||
| 1996 | Jamie Rigdon | SIAC Champions | [14][18] | ||||
| 1995 | Wesley McGriff | SIAC Champions | [14][20] | ||||
| 1994 | Wesley McGriff | [20] | |||||
| 1993 | Wesley McGriff | [20] | |||||
| 1992 | Wesley McGriff | [20] | |||||
| 1991 | |||||||
| Totals | NCAADivision I-AAIndependent results | ||||||
| NCAADivision II results | |||||||
| NCAADivision III results | |||||||
| NAIA results | |||||||
| Regular season results | |||||||
| Playoff results | |||||||
| All games including playoffs | |||||||
Some notable Savannah State baseball players and coaches include:
| Name | Class year | Position | Notability | Reference(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Eric Alvarez | Pitcher | Signed as a non-drafted free agent with thePittsburgh Pirates in 2006 | [22] | |
| Brandon Jackson | Outfielder | 16th round selection of the1999 MLB draft by theLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim | [23] | |
| Kyle McGowin | Pitcher | First TeamAll-American in 2013, 5th round selection of the2013 MLB draft by theLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim | [24] | |
| Jeff Urgelles | Catcher | Minor League Baseball player andMajor League Baseballcoach for theMiami Marlins | [25] |
Savannah State competes inNCAADivision II as a member of theSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference since July 2019, and plays home games inTiger Arena on the university campus.
The school gained notoriety when they finished the 2004–2005 men's basketball season a winless 0–28, the first Division I team to do so sincePrairie View A&M University in 1991–1992.[26][27][28] The Tigers were the 2011–12 MEAC regular season champions and received an automatic bid into the2012 NIT, their first ever appearance in any Division I tournament as a Division I member. The team posted a 21–10 overall mark and lead the MEAC in scoring defense, only allowing 58.9 points per game and were second in the conference in scoring margin (+5.4).[29]
The Tigers defeated Benedict College, 76–62, to win the 2022SIAC Men's Basketball Tournament.[30]
Savannah State Lady Tigers basketball is aMid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) member. They currently play in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).[31]
The Lady Tigers started playing in 1928 and in 1974 joined Division II. They compiled a 339–394 record in Division II before moving on to Division I in 2002.[32] In Division I, the Lady Tigers are 148–260.[32] The Lady Tigers won 6 total SEAC Championships.[32]
The Lady Tigers will move back to Division IISouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) after the 2018–19 season[33]
The football team is traditionally the most popular sport at Savannah State. The games are played atTed A. Wright Stadium. Since moving toNCAADivision I – FCS in 2000, the Tigers have compiled a 17–88 record as of the 2009–2010 season.[34] Prior to moving to Division I – FCS, the team compiled a 97–108–4 record inNCAA Division II (1981–2000), a 15–20–0 record inNCAA Division III (1973–1980) and a 1–1–0 record as a member of theNAIA.[35][36]
The current coach is Don Andrews who entered his first season as head coach in 2008.[37]
The Women's Tennis Team won the SIAC championship in 1991, 1994, 1996, 1997 and 1998.[38]
In 2014, the Women's Tennis team set the program record for Division I wins.[39]
The Women's tennis team started playing in 1984–85.[40] They joined the MEAC during the 2011–12 season.[40]
The current head coach is Jolanta Graham who replaced Schannon Gamble in 2012.
Savannah State's Women's volleyball team began play in 1985 before they moved to Division I in 2002.[41] They began MEAC play in 2011.[41]
Savannah State's Women's volleyball has not had much success in their previous 34 seasons.[41]
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The current head coach is Jose Gonzalez who entered his first season in 2008.[42]
In 2012, the Lady Tigers softball team completed their first .500 season and won a MEAC division title.[43]
| This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(October 2007) |
The current coach is Art Gelow.[44]
| This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(October 2007) |
The current coach is Ted Whitaker who entered his first season as head coach in 1999.[45]
Most athletic teams have on-campus facilities for competition, includingTed A. Wright Stadium forfootball and track and field,[46] andTiger Arena for basketball and women's volleyball.
Ted A. Wright Stadium is an 8,500 seat multi purpose stadium which opened in 1969.[47] The stadium's name is an homage to former Savannah State Football coach Theodore Wright, who coached the team from 1947 to 1949.[48]
Track and field renovations were made at Ted A.Wright Stadium in the mid 1990s as part of the "Olympic Legacy Package". The "Olympic Legacy Package" included a 400-meter track and competitive field areas.[49]
Tiger Arena is a 5,000-seat multi purpose arena that opened in 2000. Tiger Arena replaced Willcox-Wiley Gymnasium,[50] costing $9.6 million to construct.[51]
The traditionalrival, in all sports, is in-stateFort Valley State University.[52]
| Season | Sport | Conference | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Men's Basketball | SIAC | [53] | |
| 1979 | Men's Basketball | SIAC | regular season and tournament title | [54][55] |
| 1980 | Men's Basketball | SIAC | regular season and tournament title | [54][55] |
| 1981 | Men's Basketball | SIAC | regular season and tournament title | [54][55] |
| 1991 | Women's Tennis | SIAC | [38] | |
| 1994 | Women's Tennis | SIAC | [38] | |
| 1995 | Baseball | SIAC | [14] | |
| 1996 | Women's Tennis | SIAC | [38] | |
| 1996 | Baseball | SIAC | [14] | |
| 1997 | Women's Tennis | SIAC | [38] | |
| 1997 | Baseball | SIAC | [14] | |
| 1998 | Baseball | SIAC | [14] | |
| 1998 | Women's Tennis | SIAC | [38] | |
| 1999 | Baseball | SIAC | [14] | |
| 2012 | Men's Basketball | MEAC | regular season conference champions | |
| 2012 | Softball | MEAC | Southern Division Conference Champions | |
| 2013 | Baseball | MEAC | Southern Division Conference Champions Conference tournament champions | |
| 2015 | Women's Basketball | MEAC | Conference tournament champions | |
| 2022 | Men's Basketball | SIAC | Conference tournament champions | [30] |
| Members |  | |
|---|---|---|
